Apparatus for guiding the saying and meditation of the rosary

ABSTRACT

Apparatus, particularly portable for personal use, for guiding a believer in the saying and meditation of the rosary, having a display (7) for presenting the single steps of the prayer of the rosary one at a time and keys (5, 6) controllable by the believer for sequentially advancing the presentation of the single steps themselves.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an apparatus for guiding the believerto prayer.

More specifically, it relates to an apparatus for guiding the saying andmeditation of the rosary.

2. Description of the Related Art

As is known, the rosary is a prayer in the honour of the Virgin Mary andconsists in saying a hundred and fifty Hail Mary, divided in fifteentens, intercalated with the saying of the Lord's Prayer and the Gloria.At each ten, one keeps meditating on one of the fifteen Mysteries ofRedemption which consist in events of Gospel history and are divided inthree series regarding Jesus' and Mary's Joy (Joyful Mysteries), Sorrow(Sorrowful Mysteries) and Gloria (Glorious Mysteries).

The Joyful Mysteries are the Annunciation, the Visitation, Jesus' birth,the Virgin's Purification, and Jesus's finding among the Scribes. TheSorrowful Mysteries are the Agony, the Flagellation, the Crowning withthorns, the Trip to the Calvary, the Crucifixion and death. The GloriousMysteries are Jesus' Resurrection, the Ascension to Heaven, the descentof the Holy Ghost, Mary's Assumption, and her Crowning.

The essence and the merit of this prayer are in joining mental prayerand vocal prayer together.

As far back as antiquity and in the most disparate cultures, besidesprayer books, means for assisting the believer in the prayer are known.For instance there are plates bearing series of images, each oneassociated with a different step of a prayer.

In the saying of the Rosary, due to its complexity relative to otherprayers, a means was created and is still commonly used to the presentday--particularly portable for the personal use in any place--forcounting the Hail Mary and the Lord's Prayer, made up of a crown chainwherein groups of ten beads which serve for the Hail Mary, are fixed,each one intercalated with a large bead or major grain, which serves forthe Lord's Prayer.

This crown is itself named a rosary for metonymy. It represents, withits grains, the third part of the rosary, the saying of three Hail Marycorresponding with each grain. The rosary in a reduced form can also besaid limitedly to such a third part, it also is commonly named a rosary,in which case a single Hail Mary corresponds with each grain.

The crown rosary such as known heretofore, however, has the disadvantageof reminding the believer of the various steps of the prayer in an onlyvague manner.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a means that guidesthe believer step-by-step in the vocal saying and in the meditation ofthe Rosary in a substantially more precise and suggestive way.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a means, thatis easy and convenient to be borne on oneself and to be utilized as apersonal apparatus.

Such objects are reached with an apparatus that displays the varioussteps of the Rosary one at a time, endowed with a mechanism forsequentially advancing the stops themselves upon the believer's command.

For such an apparatus the construction with electronic hardware isparticularly provided.

This construction has the double advantage of a low cost and of aversatility of the apparatus itself. Based upon the electronic hardware,the displaying of the various steps of the Rosary can be concretelycarried out in both an optical manner on a video screen, and anacoustical manner through a voice synthesizer.

The visual displaying is in turn susecptible of various embodiments,both alfa-numerical and graphical.

For the apparatus the realization in the form of a box in pocket-size oranyhow portable is particularly envisaged, that offers the advantagethat a believer is able with it to profitably employ, praying, a fewminutes also of his free time in any place he finds itself.

The electronic minaturization allows in this connection executions tovery reduced sizes.

Therefore, the present invention relates to an apparatus for guiding abeliever in the saying of the rosary, comprising means for displayingthe single steps of the prayer of the rosary one at a time and meanscontrollable by the believer for sequentially advancing the displayingof the single steps themselves.

According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, saiddisplaying means are a device controlled by a microprocessor and saidmeans for sequentially advancing are two keys interfaced with themicroprocessor itself, and the apparatus includes means for storing theinformation to be displayed for each step.

Advantageously, the apparatus is endowed with means for storing the stepdisplayed last.

Particularly, the realization as a video display is envisaged for saiddisplaying device.

It is envisaged that such a video screen display is an alphanumericalvideo screen display.

It is, particularly, envisaged that such an alphanumerical display is aliquid crystal display.

It is however also envisaged that the video display is a graphicaldisplay.

It is still further envisaged that said video display is made up of agroup of light emitting diodes for the ten Hail Mary and another threelight emitting diodes for indicating the group of Mysteries.

The realization as a vocal synthesizer is however also envisaged forsaid displaying device.

The present invention also relates to an apparatus for guiding thebeliever in the saying of the rosary, comprising means for displayingthe single steps of the prayer of the rosary step by step and meanscontrollable by the believer for sequentially advancing the displayingof the single steps themselves, further comprising means for emittingmusical motives accompanying the various steps of the rosary.

According to an embodiment thereof, said means for emitting musicalmotives are made up of a piezoelectric buzzer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The present invention will be best understood based upon the followingdetailed disclosure of preferred embodiment thereof, given only as amatter of a example, absolutely not of restriction, with reference tothe annexed drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 represents a pictorial view of an embodiment of the apparatus ofthe present invention;

FIG. 2 represents a pictorial view of another embodiment of theapparatus of the present invention, and

FIG. 3 represents the hardware architecture to make the apparatus of thepresent invention to perform its functions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the apparatus of the present invention showsitself as a pocket plastic box 1.

Such a plastic box contains the electronic hardware represented in FIG.3. It comprises a 4-or 8-bit microprocessor 2, which addresses 8kilobytes of an erasable programmable read only memory or EPROM 3 andsome hundreds bytes of a random access memory or RAM 4.

Microprocessor 2 manages two keys 5 and 6, diversified with green andred colors, a liquid crystal alphanumerical video display 7 of two (2)rows by sixteen (16) characters and a piezoelectric buzzer 8.

The power supply of the apparatus is provided by storage batteries oraccumulators 9, for a value of 6 volts with a consumption of about 50milliamperes.

The hardware is endowed with means (not shown) for supplying the RAM 4with the apparatus turned off too, so allowing the data in the memory tobe preserved.

Based upon such a hardware, all the various steps of the rosary areshown alphanumerically on the video display 7 (visual displaying means)through the two keys 5 and 6 (means for advancing the displaying); thepiezoelectric buzzer 8 omits short religious motives fit for stressingthe most important passages among the various prayers to the believer.

After turning the apparatus on, one has the following operationsequence:

    __________________________________________________________________________    ACTION    DISPLAY         MUSIC                                               __________________________________________________________________________    GREEN KEY THE HOLY ROSARY MOTIVE OF                                                     JOYFUL MYSTERIES                                                                              JOYFUL MYSTERIES                                    GREEN KEY MAKE THE SIGN                                                                 OF THE CROSS                                                        GREEN KEY 1 MARY RECEIVES THE                                                           ANNUNCIATION                                                        GREEN KEY THE LORD'S PRAYER                                                                             MOTIVE OF THE                                                 IS SAID         LORD'S PRAYER                                       GREEN KEY 1 ANNUNCIATION  MOTIVE OF                                                     HAIL MARY 1     THE HAIL MARY                                                                 (THE FIRST                                                                    TIME ONLY)                                                        . . .                                                           GREEN KEY 1 ANNUNCIATION  A "CLICK" OF                                                  HAIL MARY 10    THE BUZZER FOR                                                                EACH FURTHER                                                                  HAIL MARY                                           GREEN KEY THE GLORIA TO   MOTIVE OF THE                                                 THE LORD        GLORIA TO THE LORD                                  GREEN KEY 2 MARY VISITS                                                                 ELIZABETH                                                           GREEN KEY THE LORD'S PRAYER                                                                             MOTIVE OF THE                                                 IS SAID         LORD'S PRAYER                                       GREEN KEY 2 VISITATION    MOTIVE OF THE                                                 HAIL MARY 1     HAIL MARY                                                                     (THE FIRST                                                                    TIME ONLY)                                                        . . .                                                           GREEN KEY 2 VISITATION    A "CLICK" OF                                                                  THE BUZZER FOR                                                                EACH FURTHER                                                                  HAIL MARY                                           GREEN KEY THE GLORIA TO   MOTIVE OF THE                                                 THE LORD        GLORIA TO THE LORD                                  GREEN KEY 3 JESUS IS BORN                                                               IN BETHLEHEM                                                        GREEN KEY THE LORD'S PRAYER                                                                             MOTIVE OF THE                                                 IS SAID         GLORIA TO THE LORD                                  GREEN KEY 3 THE BIRTH     MOTIVE OF THE                                                 HAIL MARY 1     GLORIA TO THE LORD                                                            HAIL MARY                                                                     (THE FIRST                                                                    TIME ONLY)                                                        . . .                                                           GREEN KEY 3 THE BIRTH     A "CLICK" OF                                                  HAIL MARY 10    BUZZER FOR EACH                                                               FURTHER HAIL MARY                                   GREEN KEY THE GLORIA TO THE                                                                             MOTIVE OF THE                                                 LORD IS SAID    GLORIA TO THE LORD                                  GREEN KEY THE SALVE REGINA                                                                              MOTIVE OF THE                                                 IS SAID         SALVE REGINA                                        GREEN KEY THE LITANIES                                                                  ARE SAID                                                            GREEN KEY THE HOLY ROSARY MOTIVE OF THE                                                 SORROWFUL MYSTERIES                                                                           SORROWFUL MYSTERIES                                 GREEN KEY MAKE THE SIGN                                                                 OF THE CROSS                                                        GREEN KEY 1 JESUS SWEATS BLOOD                                                          IN THE GARDEN                                                       GREEN KEY THE LORD'S PRAYER                                                                             MOTIVE OF THE                                                 IS SAID         LORD'S PRAYER                                       GREEN KEY 1 AGONY         MOTIVE OF THE                                                 HAIL MARY 1     HAIL MARY                                                                     (THE FIRST                                                                    TIME ONLY)                                                        . . .                                                           GREEN KEY 1 AGONY         A "CLICK" OF THE                                              HAIL MARY 10    BUZZER FOR EACH                                                               FURTHER                                                                       HAIL MARY                                           GREEN KEY THE GLORIA TO THE                                                                             MOTIVE OF THE                                                 LORD            GLORIA TO THE LORD                                  GREEN KEY 2 JESUS IS                                                                    FLAGELLATED                                                         GREEN KEY THE LORD'S PRAYER                                                                             MOTIVE OF THE                                                 IS SAID         LORD'S PRAYER                                       GREEN KEY 2 FLAGELLATION  MOTIVE OF THE                                                 HAIL MARY 1     HAIL MARY                                                                     (THE FIRST                                                                    TIME ONLY)                                                        . . .                                                           GREEN KEY 2 FLAGELLATION  A "CLICK" OF THE                                              HAIL MARY 10    BUZZER FOR EACH                                                               FURTHER HAIL MARY                                   GREEN KEY THE GLORIA TO   MOTIVE OF THE                                                 THE LORD IS SAID                                                                              GLORIA TO THE LORD                                  GREEN KEY 3 JESUS CROWNED                                                               WITH THORNS                                                         GREEN KEY THE LORD'S PRAYER                                                                             MOTIVE OF THE                                                 IS SAID         LORD'S PRAYER                                       H + GREEN KEY                                                                           3 THE THORNS    MOTIVE OF THE                                                 HAIL MARY 1     HAIL MARY                                                                     (THE FIRST                                                                    TIME ONLY)                                                        . . .                                                           GREEN KEY 3 THE THORNS    A " CLICK" OF THE                                             HAIL MARY 10    BUZZER FOR EACH                                                               FURTHER                                                                       HAIL MARY                                           GREEN KEY THE GLORIA TO   MOTIVE OF THE                                                 THE LORD IS SAID                                                                              GLORIA TO THE LORD                                  GREEN KEY 4 JESUS CARRIES                                                               THE CROSS                                                           GREEN KEY THE LORD'S PRAYER                                                                             MOTIVE OF                                                     IS SAID         THE LORD'S PRAYER                                   GREEN     4 THE CROSS     MOTIVE OF                                                     HAIL MARY 1     THE HAIL MARY                                                                 (THE FIRST                                                                    TIME ONLY)                                                        . . .                                                           GREEN KEY 4 THE CROSS     A "CLICK" OF THE                                              HAIL MARY 10    BUZZER FOR EACH                                                               FURTHER                                                                       HAIL MARY                                           GREEN KEY THE GLORTA TO   MOTIVE OF THE                                                 THE LORD IS SAID                                                                              GLORIA TO THE LORD                                  GREEN KEY 5 JESUS DIES                                                                  ON THE CROSS                                                        GREEN KEY THE LORD'S PRAYER                                                                             MOTIVE OF THE                                                 IS SAID         LORD'S PRAYER                                       GREEN KEY 5 THE DEATH     MOTIVE OF THE                                                 HAIL MARY 1     HAIL MARY                                                                     (THE FIRST                                                                    TIME ONLY)                                                        . . .                                                           GREEN KEY 5 THE DEATH     A "CLICK" OF                                                  HAIL MARY 10    THE BUZZER FOR                                                                EACH FURTHER                                                                  HAIL MARY                                           GREEN KEY THE GLORIA TO   MOTIVE OF THE                                                 THE LORD        GLORIA TO THE LORD                                  GREEN KEY THE SALVE REGINA                                                                              MOTIVE OF THE                                                 IS SAID         SALVE REGINA                                        GREEN KEY THE LITANIES                                                                  ARE SAID                                                            GREEN KEY THE HOLY ROSARY MOTIVE OF THE                                                 GLORIOUS MYSTERIES                                                                            GLORIOUS MYSTERIES                                  GREEN KEY MAKE THE SIGN                                                                 OF THE CROSS                                                        GREEN KEY 1 JESUS RESURRECTS                                                            FROM DEATH                                                          GREEN KEY THE LORD'S PRAYER                                                                             MOTIVE OF THE                                                 IS SAID         LORD'S PRAYER                                       GREEN KEY 1 RESURRECTION  MOTIVE OF THE                                                 HAIL MARY 1     HAIL MARY                                                                     (THE FIRST                                                                    TIME ONLY)                                                        . . .                                                           GREEN KEY 1 RESURRECTION  A "CLICK" OF THE                                              HAIL MARY 10    BUZZER FOR EACH                                                               FURTHER HAIL MARY                                   GREEN KEY THE GLORIA TO THE                                                                             MOTIVE OF THE                                                 LORD IS SAID    GLORIA TO THE LORD                                                . . .                                                           GREEN KEY 2 JESUS ASCENDS MOTIVE OF THE                                                 TO HEAVEN       LORD'S PRAYER                                       GREEN KEY 2 ASCENSION     MOTIVE OF THE                                                 HAIL MARY 1     (THE FIRST                                                                    TIME ONLY)                                                         . . .                                                          GREEN KEY 2 ASCENSION     A "CLICK" OF                                                  HAIL MARY 10    THE BUZZER FOR                                                                EACH FURTHER                                                                  HAIL MARY                                           GREEN KEY THE GLORIA TO   MOTIVE OF THE                                                 THE LORD IS SAID                                                                              GLORIA TO THE                                                                 THE LORD                                            GREEN KEY 3 JESUS GIVES                                                                 THE HOLY SPIRIT                                                     GREEN KEY THE LORD'S PRAYER                                                                             MOTIVE OF THE                                                 IS SAID         LORD'S PRAYER                                       GREEN KEY 3 WHITSUNDAY    MOTIVE OF THE                                                 HAIL MARY 10    HAIL MARY                                                                     (THE FIRST                                                                    TIME ONLY)                                                        . . .                                                           GREEN KEY 3 WHITSUNDAY    A "CLICK" OF                                                  HAIL MARY 1     THE BUZZER FOR                                                                EACH FURTHER                                                                  HAIL MARY                                           GREEN KEY THE GLORIA TO   MOTIVE OF THE                                                 THE LORD IS SAID                                                                              GLORIA TO                                                                     THE LORD                                            GREEN KEY 4 BLESSED MARY                                                                RECEIVED INTO HEAVEN                                                GREEN KEY THE LORD'S PRAYER                                                                             MOTIVE OF THE                                                 IS SAID         LORD'S PRAYER                                       GREEN KEY 4 ASSUMPTION    MOTIVE OF THE                                                 HAIL MARY 1     HAIL MARY                                                                     (THE FIRST                                                                    TIME ONLY)                                                        . . .                                                           GREEN KEY 4 ASSUMPTION    A "CLICK" OF THE                                              HAIL MARY 10    BUZZER FOR EACH                                                               FURTHER HAIL MARY                                   GREEN KEY THE GLORIA TO   MOTIVE OF THE                                                 THE LORD IS SAID                                                                              GLORIA TO THE LORD                                  GREEN KEY 5 MARY                                                                        CROWNED THE QUEEN                                                   GREEN KEY THE LORD'S PRAYER                                                                             MOTIVE OF THE                                                 IS SAID         LORD'S PRAYER                                       GREEN KEY 5 CROWNING      MOTIVE OF THE                                                 HAIL MARY 1     HAIL MARY                                                                     (THE FIRST                                                                    TIME ONLY)                                                        . . .                                                           GREEN KEY 5 CROWNING      A "CLICK" OF THE                                              HAIL MARY 10    BUZZER FOR EACH                                                               FURTHER HAIL MARY                                   GREEN KEY THR GLORIA TO   MOTIVE OF THE                                                 THE LORD IS SAID                                                                              GLORIA TO THE LORD                                  GREEN KEY THE SALVE REGINA                                                                              MOTIVE OF THE                                                 IS SAID         SALVE REGINA                                        GREEN KEY THE LITANIES                                                                  ARE SAID                                                            __________________________________________________________________________

From this point, by keeping on pressing the green key, one can startagain from the beginning.

On the contrary, by pressing the red key anywhere one finds himself inthe rosary, one can select which group of mysteries to recite, in thefollowing order:

    ______________________________________                                        ACTION   DISPLAY         MUSIC                                                ______________________________________                                        RED      THE HOLY ROSARY MOTIVE OF THE                                                 JOYFUL MYSTERIES                                                                              JOYFUL MYSTERIES                                     RED      THE HOLY ROSARY MOTIVE OF THE                                                 SORROWFUL       SORROWFUL                                                     MYSTERIES       MYSTERIES                                            RED      THE HOLY ROSARY MOTIVE OF THE                                                 GLORIOUS        GLORIOUS                                                      MYSTERIES       MYSTERIES                                            ______________________________________                                    

Turning the apparatus off and then having to interrupt the prayer, uponreturning the apparatus on, the believer will not have to restart fromthe beginning or remember where he had arrived, but the display willreposition itself automatically in the interrupt point.

The displaying of the messages can be provided in any desired tongue.

According to a variant of such an embodiment, graphical messages aresubstituted for the alphanumerical messages, on a larger displayingarray, which can offer a suggestive result advantage.

Variants are envisaged having the two display forms in combination.

With reference to FIG. 2, another embodiment is disclosed of theapparatus of the present invention. Elements thereof corresponding withthose of the embodiment of FIG. 1 are designated with the same numeralsincreased by ten. It presents itself equal to the apparatus of FIG. 1,with a small, pocket plastic box 11 and with the electronic hardwareshown in FIG. 3, except that in the place of the alphanumericaldisplaying, there is disclosed a group of light emitting diodes or LED's17 (visual display means) for the ten Hail Mary and other 3 LED's 17'(visual display means) for indicating the group of mysteries that onekeeps meditating, keeping the musical motives unaltered.

In this case a Hail Mary or a Mystery is represented by the turning onof one of the relevant LED's.

The representation is less suggestive, but the execution variant ischeaper.

In this embodiment too, the advancement commands are imparted throughtwo keys 15 and 16 (means for advancing the display), with the sameexecution modality.

According to another embodiment (not represented) in the place of thevisual displaying, an acoustical presentation is provided, by endowingthe hardware disclosed with reference to FIG. 3 with a vocal synthesizerthat vocally recites the messages.

The eventual combination of the two presentations, the visual and theacoustical ones, with the microprocessor that controls both a videodisplay and a vocal synthesizer, is also envisaged.

Summing up, a religious use apparatus has thus been realized, whichespecially for modern youth turns out to be in synchrony with today'stechnological development whereto the new generations are accustomedsince child-hood from.

The present invention has been disclosed with reference to preferredembodiments thereof, but it is to be expressedly understood thatvariations, additions and/or omissions can be made thereto, without sodeparting from its protective scope, as defined by the appended claims.

List of the Numerals

1: pocket plastic containing box;

2: microprocessor;

3: EPROM;

4: RAM;

5, 6: advancing keys;

7: display;

8: piezoelectric buzzer;

9: battery; 9': turning on switch;

11: pocket plastic containing box;

15, 16: advancing keys;

17: LED's group for the ten Hail Mary;

17': LED's group for the three Mysteries; and

18: piezoelectric buzzer

I claim:
 1. A rosary guidance apparatus for guiding a believer in sayinga rosary, comprising:display means (7; 17, 17') for presenting singlesteps of a rosary prayer one at a time; key means (5, 6; 15, 16),controllable by the believer, for advancing sequentially a presentationof the single steps of the rosary prayer; buzzer means (8; 18) foremitting religious motives, during the sequential advancement of therosary prayer, fit for stressing important passages of the rosaryprayer; and microprocessor means (2) for controlling the display means(7; 17, 17') and the buzzer means (8; 18).
 2. An apparatus according toclaim 1, further comprising:an erasable programmable read-only memory(3); and a random access memory (4); and said memories (3, 4) beingoperatively connected to the microprocessor means (2).
 3. An apparatusaccording to claim 2, further comprising:at least one battery means (9)for storing and providing power to the microprocessor means (2).
 4. Anapparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:switch means (9') forturning power on and off from the battery means (9) to themicroprocessor means (2).
 5. The apparatus according to claim 4,wherein:said display means (7; 17, 17') is a video-type display (7). 6.The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:said display means (7; 17,17') includes a first plurality of light-emitting diodes (17) forindicating one type of rosary prayer and a second plurality oflight-emitting diodes (17') for indicating a group of rosary prayers. 7.The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:said microprocessor means(2) includes a vocal synthesizer.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 4,wherein:said buzzer means (8; 18) emits musical motives accompanying thesingle steps of the rosary prayer.
 9. The apparatus according to claim5, wherein:said video-type display (7) is alphanumerical.
 10. Theapparatus according to claim 5, wherein:said video-type display (7) isgraphical.
 11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:saidalphanumerical video-type display (7) is a liquid crystal.